Tunisia shooting: Crowdfunding cash for Sousse 'heroic' hotel staff

A man kisses the Tunisian flag at the site of the Sousse shootings(Getty)

A crowdfunding campaign set up by a British holidaymaker to support staff at hotels targeted in an Islamist attack in the Tunisian city of Sousse has received an overwhelming response, collecting thousands of pounds within a few days.

Nathan Priestley, 21, from Norwich, Norfolk, said he started the fundraising because of the bravery of personnel at two beachside resorts that were stormed by jihadi gunman Seifeddine Rezgui at the end of June.

Camera footage of the gun rampage in which 38 people, mainly Britons, were killed, showed hotel workers chasing the attacker armed only with bottles and rocks.

Others, paying little heed to their own safety, sheltered tourists inside shops or turned themselves into human shields acting on the extremist's pledge not to hurt fellow Muslims.

In the wake of the attack, though, many were risking losing their jobs because of the outpouring of tourists from the area that left the resorts almost empty.

Priestley witnessed the situation first-hand and decided to try giving a helping hand. He was staying at the one of the targeted hotels when the shooting erupted but was not directly caught up in the violence as he had left the premises a little earlier.

One of the few holidaymakers who decided not to be repatriated immediately after the massacre, he posted an appeal for money to help staff at the Imperial Marhaba and Bellevue hotels of Sousse on the Gofundme website.

"A lot of them have had to put on a brave face and continue to work during these tough times and they are receiving no psychological support or financial support and many of them have been told not to come into work because there are barely any guests left in the hotel," he wrote.

"The staff at both the hotels are absolutely wonderful and have constantly been hugging all of the tourists saying they are thankful we are all safe, and they are so sorry that this has happened, despite it not being their fault."

Since the page was launched aiming to collect £1,000 ($1,560, €1,407) more than 260 people donated money surpassing the more-than-respectable sum of £5,300.

"Thank you so much for all your support, the response has been crazy and I'd like to thank each and every single one of you," Priestley wrote. "You are making a massive difference to the people here."